Changing UGM....ideas....

[Supplement Four]

I'm pretty happy with UGM the way it is, but I've been toying with a few other ideas.

I thought I'd throw them out here on the wall to see if anything sticks.

These are just ideas...not completed rules.

Throw your two cents into the pile. I welcome your comments.

[Supplement Four]

I'm pretty happy with UGM the way it is, but I've been toying with a few other ideas.

I thought I'd throw them out here on the wall to see if anything sticks.

These are just ideas...not completed rules.

Throw your two cents into the pile. I welcome your comments.

[Supplement Four]

(Random Difficulty Idea)


I got this idea for UGM when re-reading the CT task system provided on page 28 of The Traveller Adventure.

What if UGM was used this way....


DIFFICULTY
1D...Easy
2D...Routine
3D...Standard
4D...Difficult
5D...Formidable
6D...Impossible

Difficulty is determined by the random throw minus governor stat.


TASK THROW

Throw 2D +mods for Difficulty or better.

(Skill level is a typical mod).


Example: Fred, DEX-7 Mountaineering-1, wants to climb a cliff face. The GM decides this is a Difficult throw.

The player knows he's up against a 4D difficulty, but the GM secretly throws 4D behind his screen. 4D (rolled 15) -7 = 8.

Player rolls 2D +1.

Task will succeed on 8+.


Another example--

Fred, EDU-5 Communications-3, is trying to break through some atmospheric interference on the comm. The GM decides this is a Standard roll.

The player rolls 2D +3.

The GM, secretly, rolls 3D -5.

The player is successful if his roll totals higher than the difficulty.

[Supplement Four]

(Random Difficulty Idea)


I got this idea for UGM when re-reading the CT task system provided on page 28 of The Traveller Adventure.

What if UGM was used this way....


DIFFICULTY
1D...Easy
2D...Routine
3D...Standard
4D...Difficult
5D...Formidable
6D...Impossible

Difficulty is determined by the random throw minus governor stat.


TASK THROW

Throw 2D +mods for Difficulty or better.

(Skill level is a typical mod).


Example: Fred, DEX-7 Mountaineering-1, wants to climb a cliff face. The GM decides this is a Difficult throw.

The player knows he's up against a 4D difficulty, but the GM secretly throws 4D behind his screen. 4D (rolled 15) -7 = 8.

Player rolls 2D +1.

Task will succeed on 8+.


Another example--

Fred, EDU-5 Communications-3, is trying to break through some atmospheric interference on the comm. The GM decides this is a Standard roll.

The player rolls 2D +3.

The GM, secretly, rolls 3D -5.

The player is successful if his roll totals higher than the difficulty.

[Supplement Four]

(Static Bonus Idea)


Here's another version of UGM I've been looking at.

Basically, what I've done here is invert (and shifted a bit) the characteristic scale so that high stats always get a bonus on most difficulty levels while lower stats only get a bonus on some (lower) difficulty levels....

...this system is very similar to the regular UGM method, except that the bonus stat DM is always available to the character on certain difficulty levels.

I'll explain...


Stat-1 is -3DM on all tasks.
Stat-2 is -2DM on all tasks.
Stat-3 is -1DM on all tasks.

Stat-4 is +0DM on all tasks.

Stat-5 is +1DM on Easy tasks.
Stat-6 is +1DM on Routine (and below) tasks.
Stat-7 is +1DM on Standard (and below) tasks.

Stat-8 is +1DM on Difficult (and below) tasks.
Stat-9 is +1DM on Challenging (and below) tasks.
Stat-10 is +1DM on Formidable (and below) tasks.

etc....


What do you think about that? This way, if you have a Stat-7, you know that you're +1 on Easy, Routine, and Standard tasks. Anything else, you get no bonus.

If this idea is developed, we'll have to investigate how to deal with stats 13-15 by giving them a bonus (in response to the negative that Stats 1-3 get).

Again, these are just ideas. We're kicking these around here. Brainstorming.

Our goal: The perfect Classic Traveller task system.

[Supplement Four]

(Static Bonus Idea)


Here's another version of UGM I've been looking at.

Basically, what I've done here is invert (and shifted a bit) the characteristic scale so that high stats always get a bonus on most difficulty levels while lower stats only get a bonus on some (lower) difficulty levels....

...this system is very similar to the regular UGM method, except that the bonus stat DM is always available to the character on certain difficulty levels.

I'll explain...


Stat-1 is -3DM on all tasks.
Stat-2 is -2DM on all tasks.
Stat-3 is -1DM on all tasks.

Stat-4 is +0DM on all tasks.

Stat-5 is +1DM on Easy tasks.
Stat-6 is +1DM on Routine (and below) tasks.
Stat-7 is +1DM on Standard (and below) tasks.

Stat-8 is +1DM on Difficult (and below) tasks.
Stat-9 is +1DM on Challenging (and below) tasks.
Stat-10 is +1DM on Formidable (and below) tasks.

etc....


What do you think about that? This way, if you have a Stat-7, you know that you're +1 on Easy, Routine, and Standard tasks. Anything else, you get no bonus.

If this idea is developed, we'll have to investigate how to deal with stats 13-15 by giving them a bonus (in response to the negative that Stats 1-3 get).

Again, these are just ideas. We're kicking these around here. Brainstorming.

Our goal: The perfect Classic Traveller task system.

[mike wightman]

Originally posted by WJP:
(Random Difficulty Idea)
...snip...

So the target number is secretly randomised?

You, know, this might just work

I'll give it a try this weekend.

[Supplement Four]

(Another Static Bonus idea)


Here's and idea I posted in another thread for UGM.


What if all DMs added to our subtracted from the base difficulty of 8+?

Skills would decrease the difficulty.
Difficulty categories would either increase or decrease it.
And, the final number, would be what is needed to be rolled on 2D.

The player rolls 2D only--no mods effect the throw.


So, Fred, with his Stat-7 Skill-2, rolling a Difficult task, would throw 2D.

He's successful if his throw is better than (8 -2 +2) 8+.

Here's the rub: On any target number that is equal to Fred's Stat or less receives a -1 bonus DM on difficulty.

So, Fred, with his Stat-7, would receive a beneficial -1DM to difficulty any time his target number is 7 or less.

Thoughts?

[mike wightman]

Originally posted by WJP:
(Random Difficulty Idea)
...snip...

So the target number is secretly randomised?

You, know, this might just work

I'll give it a try this weekend.

[Supplement Four]

(Another Static Bonus idea)


Here's and idea I posted in another thread for UGM.


What if all DMs added to our subtracted from the base difficulty of 8+?

Skills would decrease the difficulty.
Difficulty categories would either increase or decrease it.
And, the final number, would be what is needed to be rolled on 2D.

The player rolls 2D only--no mods effect the throw.


So, Fred, with his Stat-7 Skill-2, rolling a Difficult task, would throw 2D.

He's successful if his throw is better than (8 -2 +2) 8+.

Here's the rub: On any target number that is equal to Fred's Stat or less receives a -1 bonus DM on difficulty.

So, Fred, with his Stat-7, would receive a beneficial -1DM to difficulty any time his target number is 7 or less.

Thoughts?